In retail stores, 80% of the product is sold from 20% of the store. For example, a store with ten aisles will have two of those aisles producing 80% of the store total sales. These sections are known as high traffic areas. Because 80% of the stores' sales originate from the high traffic area, 80% of the stocking costs are spent replenishing 20% of the store. With any business, inventory control is a key ingredient in deriving profits from operations. Pharmacies and other retailers of consumable products must ensure that their inventory is properly rotated (old inventory sold before new inventory) each time the shelf is stocked.
Conventional shelving units seen in the retail market typically comprise a flat board used as a shelf, brackets with tangs, and vertical supports or standards. The bracket tangs are inserted into slots in the vertical supports, and the flat board typically rests on these brackets. Conventional standards are manufactured by Lozier™ (see FIG. 1), Hussman™ (see FIG. 2), and Tyler™ (see FIG. 3). The prior art also contains designs and systems for sliding, extensible or slide-out shelves and drawers, and in this regard applicant is aware of the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,720,230; 6,021,908; 6,497,185; 6,364,136; 6,375,015; 5,487,525; and 4,620,489.
It is one object of the present invention to provide for the interchangeability of shelves and tangs with standards regardless of the spacing of the standards or the location of the apertures or slots in the standards.